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The Ohio Department of Education today named three people to advise creation of a new charter school oversight evaluation system.
(Patrick O'Donnell, The Plain Dealer)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Department of Education today named three people -- a superintendent, an accountant and a lawyer -- as an "impartial panel" to "advise" creation of new charter school oversight evaluations.
The department is creating a new system to evaluate the agencies, known as "sponsors" or "authorizers," that oversee charter schools, after having to throw out evaluations it completed this year.
David Hansen, the state's school choice director and husband of Gov. John Kasich's campaign director, had deliberately left F grades for online charter schools out of the evaluations. That was a violation of state law, according to state school board members.
"We are committed to producing an evaluation program that rates charter school authorizers fairly and fully complies with the law," State Superintendent Richard Ross said in a press release. "Because the legal requirements are complex and leave broad discretion to the department, we are bringing onboard an independent advisory panel that can help us ensure we develop the very best system."
The release called the panel "impartial" but did not specify how the panel would "advise" the department.
These evaluations of charter school sponsors are the cornerstone of Gov. John Kasich and the state's roundabout plan to improve Ohio's charter schools.
Rather than having the state act as quality control officers for charter schools,the state wants the sponsors to do that work and hopes to create pressure on them through the ratings.
Here's what ODE had to say about the advisors and their background:
- Thomas Hosler, superintendent of the Perrysburg Exempted Village Schools who has led the Wood County district for eight years. He was previously a principal, teacher and coach at public and private schools in Ohio and Michigan, including seven years as superintendent at New Boston Schools in Huron, Michigan. He holds degrees in administration and labor relations from Wayne State University.
- Phillip Dennison, a Certified Public Accountant with more than 40 years of experience. A principal with Packer Thomas in Canfield, Mr. Dennison has diverse experience working with colleges and universities, hospitals, the manufacturing industry, banking institutions and credit unions.
- Mark Hatcher, a partner with the BakerHostetler law firm in Columbus. Mr. Hatcher has extensive experience with regulatory compliance and corporate and commercial law transactions. He holds a Juris Doctor/Master of Laws in Business and Tax from Capital University Law School.